Virtual friend fires employee

Here's a story for those that were interested to read that making a comment such as "ma job it pointLESS" on Facebook might lead to dismissal.

It's a salutary tale from Switzerland, that epitome of neutrality, about a woman who lost her job after her employers noted she was using Facebook whilst allegedly suffering from a migraine.

The woman admitted to accessing Facebook from her iPhone whilst lying in bed, but complained that Nationale Suisse had created a fictitious Facebook persona in order to become her "friend" and that the company had spied on her once she accepted this virtual friend. Whilst this begs the question as to why the woman accepted the Facebook friendship of a complete stranger, the story does highlight the potentially dire consequences of using communication networks at inappropriate times or in inappropriate ways. See the BBC's report here.

Whilst the government has decided not to set up a single centralised database, it does intend to ask internet service providers and mobile phone networks, amongst others, to extend the range of information they currently hold on their subscribers and to organise it in a manner that is more easily used by the police, MI5 and other public bodies investigating crime and terrorism. So, for those thinking along Orwellian lines, it is more "Surveillance Siblings" than "Big Brother".

The consultation period runs until 20 July 2009. Legislation to ensure that all data that public authorities might need, including third party data, is collected and retained by communications service providers may follow.

Those employed in the private sector should note that, under the current proposals, only the collecting communications firm and certain public authorities would have access to the information collected; to monitor an employee's Facebook usage, companies such as National Suisse will still need to create friendly fictitious Facebook personae and become virtual friends with their staff.

The story caught this Naked Lawyer's eye because it almost ties in with the announcement

on 27 April that the UK government wishes to have more information about communications, including visits to online chatrooms and social network sites such as Facebook, collected by communications firms for use by UK security services. The consultation document is called "Protecting the Public in a Changing Communications Environment".

Comments

[TWBrit]

I really think this is all now going too far!
The one thing all governments stated years ago was that the 'Big Brother' thing would never happen - now it actually has.
Of course, once they start prosecuting 'Joe Bloggs' for things they have admitted doing during chats to friends etc, it will kill the internet and social networking dead!
Now Police in Manchester simply video moving traffic, then go back to the station and watch it for anyone doing anything in there car they shouldn't have been doing while driving, it's not enough for them to have CCTV everywhere, now they're scrutinizing how you act in your car!!
Ultimately, I truly believe the government is making a rod for it's own back. Seriously, the Security Service simply don't require any of this legislation - they can do and gather pretty much whatever they want already.
This excuse is all based on the knee jerk reactions still rippling through society from 911 - something that had nothing at all to do with us.